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Great American Bites: VPN pizza with a view in Washington, D.C.

Larry Olmsted, special for USA TODAY
12:26 p.m. EST February 7, 2013

The most traditional pie, the Pizza Margherita, represents the green, red and white of the Italian flag with just three ingredients: tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.(Photo: Larry Olmsted for USA TODAY)

The scene: Il Canale translates from Italian to "The Canal," and in this case refers to the C&O Canal, just a few steps away from this restaurant in the nation's capital. The historic waterway, which cuts through the heart of the Georgetown neighborhood, provides a bit of tranquility in the urban setting, though it sits just a block from the bustling main intersection of M Street and Wisconsin Ave. The distinguishing features of the exterior are brick walls (most Georgetown buildings are brick) painted stark white, plus a few outdoor tables, complete with prerequisite Italian café umbrellas, planted on the sidewalk, with little to separate them from passersby . But inside Il Canale is an oasis, a place for very good pizza and casual Italian food with escapist flair.

The restaurant features an open kitchen, the centerpiece of which is a roaring wood-fired oven, a dome made of irregular mosaic tile, the essential ingredient in making authentic Neapolitan-style pizza. Faded brick interior walls give it an airy, homey look, while the tables are sleek and modern, yet casually simple. Everything about the place is welcoming, but the upstairs is the heart and soul of Il Canale, with a lovely, private and mostly shaded outdoor terrace you can just make out from the street, a much better al fresco choice than the sidewalk, and the top seats for dining here when weather permits.

Reason to visit: Pizza, antipasti, olives, meatballs

The food: Il Canale serves authentic Neapolitan-style pizza, meaning it follows the strict rules of the food's governing body, Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN), as was the case with San Antonio's Dough Pizzeria, another place I wrote about in this column. This organization from Naples, Italy, the city that claims to have invented pizza, certifies restaurants worldwide that meet its high standards for authenticity, specifying both ingredients that can be used, down to the particular flour, salt, and cheese, and the style of wood-burning oven. Il Canale was the 391st VPN-certified pizzeria, and imported not just its oven from Naples, but also its chef, Antonio Biglietto. The owner, Joe Farruggio, who also owns Joe's Place Pizza & Pasta in nearby Vienna, Va., comes from Sicily, and the non-pizza menu has a strong Southern Italian influence.

You create your own custom antipasti plates from a list of options, highlighted by the exceptional mixed olives, shown here, along with grilled eggplant and chunks of fresh Grana Padano cheese.(Photo: Larry Olmsted for USA TODAY)

It is not the best Neapolitan-style pizza I have had, but it is very good, and at this level the differences are splitting hairs. I found it a bit too saucy, which affected the texture, but at least that sauce is tasty. The ingredients are first rate, from the imported San Marzano tomatoes and real prosciutto di Parma to the fresh buffalo mozzarella flown in from Italy. Generally, true Neapolitan-style pizza is fairly limited in terms of toppings and combinations. Il Canale has the traditional standards, Margherita and Marinara, but also some much more creative takes, such as the signature Il Canale with buffalo mozzarella and ricotta plus cherry tomatoes, eggplant, prosciutto di Parma and basil. There is also an entire menu of sauce-less white pizzas, "Le Bianche," including the offbeat Casertana with potatoes, buffalo mozzarella, sausage and rosemary.

But while the pizza is the main attraction, what I liked best was the excellent assortment of antipasti - and the way it is served. Most Italian restaurants here offer a preset platter or two, but many in Italy have create-your-own antipasti bars, and that is the approach Il Canale takes, with a list of options to make your own custom combination at five dollars a pop. These range from five types of sausage, ham and bacon to grilled zucchini, eggplant or artichokes, spectacular olives, roasted peppers, and several types of cheese. Don't miss the olives! If you've got a group you can get a big family-style platter that includes every single option, plus focaccia.

The meatballs, served as a straightforward appetizer plate of four in homemade sauce, are excellent.(Photo: Larry Olmsted for USA TODAY)

The appetizers are also very good, especially the novel calamari and zucchini in spicy marinara sauce and the house specialty, the polpette al sugo, four large tender meatballs in tomato sauce, simple and unadorned but very tasty. Meatballs are trendy these days, but it is hard to get standout versions that mix tenderness with flavor, and these large specimens hit the spot. While Il Canale also has an extensive menu of pasta entrees, along with a few meat and fish mains, it is perfect as a spot for two or four people to split a pizza or two, along with antipasti and a couple of appetizers or salads. This strategy works for lunch or dinner, and they have an extensive list of Italian wines, reasonably priced and with many by the glass. The fun and extensive menu has something for nearly every taste, and when you add in the setting, it is just a great place to call a time out from city life.

Pilgrimage-worthy?: Only if you are in D.C. and craving traditional Neapolitan pizza or antipasti.

Larry Olmsted has been writing about food and travel for more than 15 years. An avid eater and cook, he has attended cooking classes in Italy, judged a BBQ contest and once dined with Julia Child. Follow him on Twitter, @TravelFoodGuy, and if there's a unique American eatery you think he should visit, send him an e-mail at travel@usatoday.com.